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Expensive and highly trumpeted outdoor installations can so often disappoint, particularly when involving large crowds trying to understand the visuals and language behind the concept. Not so this extraordinary installation by French outdoor alchemists Compagnie Caraboose, which utilised every nook and cranny of St. Anne’s Well Gardens, including the pond and the scented garden.

Transforming this already gorgeous inner-city oasis with fire sculptures, candles, moving metalworks (including lots of swings!), and the odd live performance, the space was meticulously and magically altered, transfixing the huge audiences who for the most part couldn’t believe their eyes.

On the surface, The strangely subdued health and safety aspect was a surprise, but acted as a strong reminder that yes, we know fire is hot and dangerous – so, don’t treat us like idiots! But what the largely fire-based installation was ultimately trying to say, is of course open to interpretation; but like the best abstracts it invited everyone to partake and enjoy it in any way they wished, almost invariably positively. This event will live long in the memory…

7-8 May, St. Anne’s Well Garden’s
Rating:
Jeff Hemmings

In 5×15’s first ‘conversational cabaret’ in Brighton, author William Fiennes charmed the audience with inspiring stories from the First Story charity. He included a prize-winning, six-word short story by his student that was printed on a pencil: it read ‘Went to shops. Won Lottery. Sorted.’

And sorted the evening was, with intimate harp playing by Lucinda Belle, stripped of her orchestra, and an impassioned, poetic memory piece performed by Lemn Sissay, based on his fostering experiences.
Rebecca Frayn privileged us with insights into the writing of her upcoming film ‘The Lady’, about Aung San Suu Kyi.

Pavilion Theatre, Brighton Dome, 7 May
Rating:
Jim Milnes

This documentary on Nobel Laureate and dedicatee of this year’s Brighton Festival looked at the woman behind the media image. Aung San Suu Kyi was presented as “a modern day Joan of Arc of Burma”, lauded by husband, sons and various friends.

The film, funded and produced by television companies across the world, made a merit of its main shortcoming: the lack of recent, good-quality footage of the Burmese opposition leader meant that each photo or clip was the more treasured and powerful.

A personal portrait, the film lacked a real insight into the politics of Burma, but compensated with immense emotional power.

Duke of York’s Cinema, 7 May
Rating:
Jim Milnes

Victoria Melody chose those two most exclusive of interests; pigeon fancying and the Northern Soul scene, as the subjects for this truly engaging, and often hilarious, new show. Beginning with stories of her misfit childhood, she chose to ingratiate herself into the world of homing pigeons and presented a respectfully mischievous, outsider’s video montage of her subjects. The title comes from her hen night at a Cleethorpes soul weekender and her subsequent quest to learn how to dance in the living rooms of several dance champions. The show’s finale drew huge cheers as Victoria talc’d the floor and delivered a no-holds-barred dance display. Original and inspirational.

The Basement, 7 May
Rating:
Steve Clements